ROMNEY, BUSH ARE TOP GOP CONTENDERS FOR 2016 RACE, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY NATIONAL POLL FINDS;CLINTON LEADS, TIED WITH CHRISTIE OR ROMNEY

Republican voters nationwide want 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney back in the game,giving him the top position at 19 percent in an early look at the 2016 presidential race in aQuinnipiac University national poll released today. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is next with 11 percent, followed by New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie and Dr. Ben Carson at 8 percent each. No other Republican tops 6 percent, with 16 percent undecided.

With Romney out of the race, Jeb Bush leads with 14 percent, followed by Christie at 11percent, Carson at 9 percent and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky at 8 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. Another 19 percent are undecided.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sweeps the Democratic field with 57 percent, followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 13 percent and Vice President Joseph Biden at 9 percent, with no other candidate above 4 percent and 14 percent undecided. If Clinton does not run, Biden gets 34 percent, followed by Warren with 25 percent.

Romney runs best against Clinton in a general election, taking 45 percent to her 44percent. In other matchups:

Clinton gets 43 percent to Christie’s 42 percent;

Clinton tops Paul 46 – 41 percent;

She beats former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee 46 – 41 percent;

Clinton tops Jeb Bush 46 – 41 percent;

She gets 46 percent to 42 percent for U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin;

Clinton tops U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas 48 – 37 percent.

“Remember Mitt? Republicans still have Gov. Mitt Romney top of mind and top of the heap in the potential race for the top job,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

PPP's monthly look at the 2016 Republican field for President finds essentially a 4 way tie at the top- Marco Rubio has 16%, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie 15% each, and Rand Paul 14%. Paul Ryan at 9%, Ted Cruz at 7%, Rick Santorum at 5%, Bobby Jindal at 3%, and Susana Martinez at 1% round out the potential candidates we tested...

There hasn't been much movement on the Democratic side either. Hillary Clinton leads with 63% to 13% for Joe Biden, 4% for Andrew Cuomo, 3% for Mark Warner and Elizabeth Warren, 2% for Martin O'Malley, and 1% each for Kirsten Gillibrand, Deval Patrick, and Brian Schweitzer.

MILWAUKEE – A new Marquette Law School Poll finds U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan leading the field in his home state for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, with support from 27 percent of Wisconsin Republican voters and independents who lean Republican. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has the support of 21 percent, while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is third with 16 percent support. Other potential candidates include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 11 percent, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at 7 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 5 percent and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 1 percent. Twelve percent said they didn’t know or preferred someone else.